The Commentariat -- July 21, 2020

Mrs. McCrabbie: It's Tuesday, but as far as I can tell, there are no primary or runoff elections today.

Late Morning/Afternoon Update:

Kaitlan Collins & Kevin Liptak of CNN: "No White House coronavirus task force members are currently expected to join ... Donald Trump at his Tuesday evening briefing on the administration's response to the virus, a person familiar with the plan told CNN but cautioned that could change."

The New York Times' live updates of coronavirus developments Tuesday are here: "The number of people infected with the coronavirus in different parts of the United States was anywhere from two to 13 times higher than the reported rates for those regions, according to data released Tuesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The findings suggest that large numbers of people who did not have symptoms or did not seek medical care may have kept the virus circulating in their communities. The study is the largest of its kind to date, although some early data was released last month." ~~~

~~~ Lena Sun of the Washington Post: "Six months after the first coronavirus case appeared in the United States, most states are failing to report critical information needed to track and control the resurgence of covid-19, the disease caused by the virus, according to an analysis released Tuesday by a former top Obama administration health official[: former CDC Director Tom Frieden].... In the absence of a national strategy to fight the pandemic, states have had to develop their own metrics for tracking and controlling covid-19. But with few common standards, the data are inconsistent and incomplete...." ~~~

~~~ The Washington Post's live updates of coronavirus developments Tuesday are here.

Brett Samuels & Rafeal Bernal of the Hill: "President Trump on Tuesday issued an executive order that blocks undocumented immigrants from being counted in the 2020 census for the purpose of allocating congressional representation. The order, which will almost certainly face legal challenges, amounts to something of a workaround for Trump after the Supreme Court last year blocked the administration from adding a citizenship question to the decennial survey.... It's unclear how the Trump administration would discern each respondent's citizenship as there is no citizenship question included in the 2020 census. The order is sure to alarm lawmakers and advocacy groups who, amid the coronavirus pandemic, were ;already concerned about minority groups being undercounted in the census and consequently affecting the apportionment of representation and resources for years to come."

Rebecca Kheel of the Hill: "The Democratic-controlled House voted Monday to add limits to the Insurrection Act after President Trump threatened to invoke it to deploy active-duty troops against recent protests over racial injustice. In a 215-190 vote, the House approved the Insurrection Act changes as an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act. The vote fell largely along party-lines, though 14 Democrats voted with Republicans against the amendment. One Republican, Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler (Wash.), voted for the amendment."

Trouble in Ohio. Sharon Coolidge, et al., of the Cincinnati Enquirer: "Federal officials arrested Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder [R] and four others on Tuesday morning in connection with a $60 million bribery case.... Also arrested, according to the source: Neil Clark from Grant Street Consultants and once called by USA Today 'one of the best connected lobbyists in Columbus"; former Ohio Republican Party chair and consultant Matthew Borges; Juan Cespedes, co-founder of The Oxley Group in Columbus; and Jeffrey Longstreth, adviser to Householder. The scope of the federal investigation, the dollars involved and the arrests Tuesday make this one of the largest public corruption cases in Ohio in years.... A spokeswoman for [U.S. Attorney David] DeVillers said an Ohio official and associates were charged in the case, which she described as a 'public corruption racketeering conspiracy involving $60 million.' DeVillers has scheduled a 2:30 p.m. ET press conference to discuss the case.

Dan Sabbagh & Luke Harding of the Guardian: "The British government and intelligence agencies failed to prepare or conduct any proper assessment of Kremlin attempts to interfere with the 2016 Brexit referendum, according to the long-delayed Russia report. The damning conclusion is contained within the 50-page document from parliament's intelligence and security committee, which said ministers in effect turned a blind eye to allegations of Russian disruption. It said the government 'had not seen or sought evidence of successful interference in UK democratic processes' at the time, and it made clear that no serious effort was made to do so." The New York Times report, which makes successive U.K. governments look even worse than the Guardian's report, is here. Mrs. McC: The Brits could hire Donald Trump as a consultant. He would fit right in.

Mike Yoho Is Not as Funny as His Name. Mike Lillis of the Hill: "Rep. Ted Yoho (R-Fla.) was coming down the steps on the east side of the Capitol on Monday ... when he approached [Rep. Alexandria] Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), who was ascending into the building to cast a vote of her own. In a brief but heated exchange, which was overheard by a reporter, Yoho told Ocasio-Cortez she was 'disgusting' for recently suggesting that poverty and unemployment are driving a spike in crime in New York City during the coronavirus pandemic. 'You are out of your freaking mind,' Yoho told her. Ocasio-Cortez shot back, telling Yoho he was being 'rude.'... [Moments later, after they had parted, Yoho said of Ocasio-Cortez,] 'Fucking bitch.'"

~~~~~~~~~~

The Trumpidemic, Ctd.

The New York Times' live updates of coronavirus developments Monday are here: "Teachers unions sued Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida on Monday over his emergency order pushing schools to fully reopen next month even as coronavirus cases in the state are surging. The suit, which appears to be the first of its kind across the country, sets up a confrontation between unions and politicians that could change the trajectory of school reopening over the coming weeks. In other parts of the country, including California and parts of Texas, many large school districts have concluded in recent days that it is not safe to hold in-person classes. But Mr. DeSantis, a Republican, has been pushing for things to be different in Florida, which is home to five of the country's 10 largest districts." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ The Washington Post's story on the Florida teachers' union suit is here.

~~~ The Washington Post's live updates of coronavirus developments Monday are here. (Also linked yesterday.)

I was doing them and we had a lot of people watching, record numbers watching in the history of cable television. There's never been anything like it. -- Donald Trump, word salad apparently attempting to justify resuming his Bleach-the-Virus infomercials ~~~

~~~ The Trumpidemic Revival Show. Peter Baker & Maggie Haberman of the New York Times: "By the time he canceled the show midseason, even President Trump had grown weary of his televised coronavirus briefings. Angry at the reviews, he declared the briefings 'not worth the time & effort,' a conclusion shared by his own advisers and allies who had come to see them as hurting more than helping. But while the freewheeling sessions with their cascades of misinformation and petty outbursts had become self-destructive, nothing else has taken their place as a way for Mr. Trump to get his message out given his lack of success reviving his favorite campaign rallies. And so, the president said on Monday that he was bringing back the virus briefings nearly two months after calling them off.... Mr. Trump ... attributed the move not to the increasing threat of the virus but to the fact that the briefings had garnered high television ratings.... He said he would probably start again on Tuesday at 5 p.m., the same hour as before because it would attract viewers. 'We had a good slot,' he said."

Paul Krugman of the New York Times: "We're now at the stage of the Covid-19 pandemic where Donald Trump and his allies are trying to suppress information about the coronavirus's spread -- because, of course, they are.... This was completely predictable given the Law of Obama Projection: Every right-wing conspiracy theory about President Barack Obama was an indication of what Republicans wanted to do themselves, and would do once they had the power. Remember, for example, wild claims about an imminent military takeover of Texas, lent credence by senior Republicans? Now we have unidentified Department of Homeland Security agents in unmarked vehicles seizing people off the streets of Portland, Ore."

[Trump is] so attentive to the scientific literature & the details & the data. I think his ability to analyze & integrate data that comes out of his long history in business has really been a real benefit. -- Dr. Debbie, March 27, 2020 ~~~

~~~ Digby Deciphers Donnie's Ditzy Dr. Debbie. Heather Parton in Salon: Dr. Deborah Birx "was part of a Christian right public health subculture (yes, that actually exists) that surrounds Mike Pence's office. I don't think I expected that she'd be willing to sacrifice her reputation as a serious infectious disease expert for the thrill of being on Trump's "team." Apparently she has.... Like so many others who came into Trump's orbit, she threw her respectable career on the fire to please a president who is so far over his head that he's pretty much buried himself and taken her down with him." Thanks to Ken W. for the link.

~~~ From Digby's March 9, 2020 Salon story: CDC Director Robert "Redfield and Birx are both evangelical Christians who have been associated with HIV research for many years, going back to the 1980s. Birx runs PEPFAR, George W. Bush's global AIDS initiative, and both she and Redfield have been involved with Children's AIDS Fund International, which lobbies for abstinence-only sex education around the world. The Washington Post reported back in 2018 that they belong to a network run by an important power broker in the evangelical world[.]"

Julia Conley of Common Dreams: "Pointing to the success of the SNAP food assistance program during the coronavirus pandemic, economists on Monday said Republicans' plan to end the expansion of the aid would be 'unconscionable.'... The Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program [SNAP] saw an unprecedented growth in demand as the coronavirus outbreak began, with 17% more Americans, or six million people, relying on the program in the first three months of the pandemic. At least 41 states saw an increase in the use of SNAP, which was expanded to allow people to use the benefits with fewer restrictions.... The [New York] Times report comes a month after two studies& separately concluded that the $600 unemployment benefits combined with the $1,200 direct payment sent to some Americans significantly reduced poverty levels in the U.S. in the first months of the pandemic. Despite the success of both programs, Republicans want to end their expansion at the end of this month." --s

Megan Cassella of Politico: "Millions of Americans who managed to hold onto their jobs amid the coronavirus pandemic have seen their incomes drop as employers slashed wages and hours to weather what they expected to be a short-term shutdown. Now, with the virus raging and the recession deepening, those cuts that were meant to be temporary could turn permanent -- or even pave the way for further layoffs. That could portend deep damage to the labor market and the economy because so many workers who have kept their jobs have less money to spend than a few months ago." --s

Jason Owens of Yahoo! Sports: "The Washington Nationals announced on Monday that Dr. Anthony Fauci will throw out the first pitch on Thursday when they open their season against the New York Yankees.... His scheduled appearance on Thursday appears to be a tacit endorsement of the resumption of the MLB season. Fauci's ceremonial pitch will continue the celebration of the franchise's first-ever World Series victory, clinched last fall against the Houston Astros.... That Fauci is invited to celebrate Washington's first World Series victory instead of Trump will not go unnoticed.... The Nationals did invite Trump to throw out the opening day pitch in 2017, but he declined, citing scheduling conflicts. Nationals fans roundly booed Trump when he made an appearance during Game 5 of the World Series, welcoming him with chants of 'Lock Him Up.' They booed him again when a Trump campaign ad ran during the broadcast of Game 7."

Trump's Stormtroopers, Etc.

Brett Samuels of the Hill: "President Trump on Monday signaled he may order federal agents to be deployed to Chicago, New York City, Philadelphia and other major cities as he threatens to crack down further on unrest across the country.... 'I'm going to do something -- that, I can tell you,' Trump said. 'Because we're not going to let New York and Chicago and Philadelphia and Detroit and Baltimore and all of these -- Oakland is a mess. We're not going to let this happen in our country. All run by liberal Democrats.'" (Also linked yesterday.) Update. A Washington Post story is here. ~~~

~~~ Gregory Pratt & Jeremy Gorner of the Chicago Tribune: "The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is crafting plans to deploy about 150 federal agents to Chicago this week, the Chicago Tribune has learned, a move that would come amid growing controversy nationally about federal force being used in American cities." (Also linked yesterday.)

** From Torturing Foreigners to Disappearing Americans. Julian Borger of the Guardian: "The Trump administration has been consulting the former government lawyer who wrote the legal justification for waterboarding on how the president might try to rule by decree. John Yoo told the Guardian he has been talking to White House officials about his view that a recent supreme court ruling on immigration would allow Trump to issue executive orders on whether to apply existing federal laws. 'If the court really believes what it just did, then it just handed President Trump a great deal of power, too,' Yoo, a professor at Berkeley Law, said. 'The supreme court has said President Obama could [choose not to] enforce immigration laws for about 2 million cases. And why can't the Trump administration do something similar with immigration -- create its own ... program, but it could do it in areas beyond that, like healthcare, tax policy, criminal justice, inner city policy. I talked to them a fair amount about cities, because of the disorder.'" --s (See related story linked yesterday.)

Michelle Goldberg of the New York Times: When, in 2017, Yale historian Timothy Snyder published "On Tyranny," warning of a "pro-leader paramilitary" mixing with police, "the idea of unidentified agents in camouflage snatching leftists off the streets without warrants might have seemed like a febrile Resistance fantasy. Now it's happening.... 'I don't need invitations by the state,' Chad Wolf, acting secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, said on Fox News Monday, adding, 'We're going to do that whether they like us there or not.'... There's something particularly terrifying in the use of Border Patrol agents against American dissidents.... U.S. Customs and Border Protection ... is under federal authority, has leadership that's fanatically devoted to Trump and is saturated with far-right politics."

Missouri. Axios: "St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner announced on Monday that she has charged Mark and Patricia McCloskey with felony unlawful use of a weapon after the couple pulled guns on anti-racism protesters outside of their mansion.... Photos of the McCloskeys, both personal injury attorneys in their 60s, went viral last month and have stirred a fiery partisan debate on social media. Missouri's Republican Gov. Mike Parson has said he would likely pardon the couple if they were charged, and Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) has called on the Justice Department to open a civil rights investigation into Gardner." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Mrs. Bea McCrabbie: As to why Hawley might be siccing DOJ on Gardner, this from the Guardian: "Gardner, the first African-American top prosecutor in St. Louis' history, was elected in 2016 as one of the country's new wave of progressive prosecutors, who aimed to reduce mass incarceration and address the stark racial disparities within America's criminal justice system. Since she announced her investigation into the McCloskeys, powerful white Republicans, including the president, Missouri's governor, and Republican Sen. Josh Hawley, have rallied behind the wealthy white couple, and made clear that they would oppose any attempt to charge them." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Update. Jim Salter of the AP: "St. Louis' top prosecutor on Monday charged a white husband and wife with felony unlawful use of a weapon for displaying guns during a racial injustice protest outside their mansion. Mark and Patricia McCloskey are both personal injury attorneys in their 60s. Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner told The Associated Press that their actions risked creating a violent situation during an otherwise nonviolent protest last month. 'It is illegal to wave weapons in a threatening manner -- that is unlawful in the city of St. Louis,' Gardner said." (Also linked yesterday.)

Oregon. Marissa Lang of the Washington Post: "Christopher David..., [a] 53-year-old Portland resident..., a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and former member of the Navy's Civil Engineer Corps..., came to the [Portland, Oregon,] protest ... [to ask] what the [federal] officers involved thought of the oath they had sworn to protect and defend the Constitution.... The federal officers ... rushed a line of protesters nearby, knocking them to the ground. David walked toward a gap in the line, calling out to the officers. 'Why are you not honoring your oath?' he bellowed.... An officer trained his weapon on David's chest as several agents pushed him, sending David stumbling backward. But he regained his center and tried again. Another agent raised his baton and began to beat David, who stood unwavering with his arms at his sides. Then another officer unloaded a canister of chemical irritant spray into David's face.... Unable to see from the chemicals burning his eyes and blurring his vision, David said, he stumbled into a cloud of gas that made him cough and retch. He found his way to a bench in the park, where a street medic aided him and eventually pulled him away from the advancing officers. At the hospital, he said, he learned his right hand had been broken in two places." The story also is available in the Seattle Times. (Also linked yesterday.)

We won two world wars, two world wars, beautiful world wars that were vicious and horrible, and we won them out of Fort Bragg. We won them out of all of these forts, and now they want to throw those names away. -- Donald Trump, to Chris Wallace, defending military installations named for Confederate traitors

Lawrence O'Donnell was wondering what kind of twisted idiot considers the mass killings & destruction of world wars "beautiful." My best answer: Cadet Bone Spurs. -- Mrs. Bea McCrabbie ~~~

~~~ Catie Edmondson & Emily Cochrane of the New York Times: "... this week..., the House and Senate each consider sweeping annual military bills that contain bipartisan measures mandating that the Pentagon remove Confederate names from military assets. Mr. Trump, who has sought to stoke cultural and political divisions over symbols of the Confederacy, has said he would veto any bill with such a requirement.... Mr. Trump, who has positioned himself against a growing movement for racial justice, renewed his veto threat in an interview aired Sunday.... The disconnect has raised the prospect of a rare, election-year clash between congressional Republicans and Mr. Trump on the military bill, the measure that authorizes pay raises for American troops and is regarded as must-pass legislation. Despite the president's unapologetic stance, most Republicans have been unwilling to defend symbols of the Confederacy, and some have warned the president not to force the first veto override of his presidency."

John Kruzel of the Hill: "The Supreme Court on Monday denied a request by House Democrats to accelerate the timeline of remaining court battles over congressional subpoenas for President Trump's tax returns. The bid by lawmakers came in response to the court's landmark 7-2 ruling earlier this month to shield a trove of Trump's financial records from several Democratic-led House committees and return the dispute to lower courts for further litigation." (Also linked yesterday.)

Shayna Jacobs of the Washington Post: "The book manuscript being drafted by President Trump's ex-lawyer Michael Cohen alleges that Trump has made racist comments about ... Barack Obama and the late South African leader Nelson Mandela, according to court filings made public Monday night that contend Cohen was sent back to prison this month as retaliation.... [According to an affirmation Cohen submitted to the court,] The memoir 'describes the President's pointedly anti-Semitic remarks and virulently racist remarks against such Black leaders as President Barack Obama and Nelson Mandela, neither of whom he viewed as real leaders or as worthy of respect by virtue of their race.'... Cohen's legal team, including lawyers from the American Civil Liberties Union and former federal prosecutor Danya Perry, argue that his home confinement was revoked because of his book plans." Mrs. McC: Still wonder why Trump is good with Confederate flags & is working to curb voting rights?

Marcy Wheeler of Emptywheel: "Billy Barr lies, a lot.... The Attorney General of the United States found a way to go easy on the President's life-long rat-fucker [Roger Stone] by downplaying the importance of threats against those participating in trials [as Stone threatened witness Randy Credico and Judge Amy Berman Jackson].... In the wake of the attack on [Judge] Salas, Barr has taken to the press, proclaiming how serious he thinks such attacks to be. Bullshit.... The actions Barr and Trump took earlier this year sent the message that it doesn't much matter if someone undermines the entire judicial system by intimidating judges and witnesses -- particularly if they're supporters of Trump." --s (More on the murderous attack on Salas's family linked under "Beyond the Beltway.")

"The Best People," Ctd. Em Steck, et al. of CNN: "The White House is pushing the Department of Defense to hire a former National Security Council staffer [Rich Higgins] ... to serve as chief of staff to retired Brig. Gen. Anthony Tata, the White House's nominee for the under secretary of defense for policy at the Pentagon.... Higgins...was fired from the NSC in 2017 after authoring a memo claiming ... that a 'deep state' band of officials and movements were opposing ... Donald Trump.... Since Higgins left the NSC in 2017..., [he has] said that former Obama administration officials were communists, that the Black Lives Matter movement is 'Marxist' and 'an agent' of China, and that 'left wing' organizations invented the term Islamophobia only 15 years ago. The push to hire Higgins ... and Tata, a frequent and ardent defender of the President on Fox News, to senior positions at the Pentagon comes as the White House seeks to install loyalists, many of whom hold extremist views, throughout the administration." --s

MEANWHILE, at Fox "News":

Lloyd Grove & Maxwell Tani of the Daily Beast: "A former Fox News reporter and associate producer, along with a frequent guest on the network, have leveled brutal and disturbing sexual-assault allegations against former host Ed Henry as well as harassment allegations against current on-air talent like hosts Sean Hannity, Tucker Carlson, and Howard Kurtz. In the complaint, filed Monday in New York federal court, former Fox News producer Jennifer Eckhart alleged that Henry -- the long-time Fox reporter and host of America's Newsroom who was fired earlier this month for what the network called 'willful sexual misconduct' -- raped and assaulted her and 'performed sadistic acts on her without her consent that left her injured, bruised and battered with bloody wrists.'... Meanwhile, journalist Cathy Areu ... alleged in the lawsuit that in early 2020, Henry sent her 'a slew of wildly inappropriate sexual images and messages -- which are in her possession.'"

Allyson Chiu of the Washington Post: "On Monday night, Fox News host Tucker Carlson made a surprising accusation: the New York Times, he said, was trying to endanger him and his family by revealing where they live in an upcoming story. As he lambasted the newspaper on-air, Carlson suggested that his prime-time show could expose the home addresses of the reporter and Times editors. Within hours, an army of conservative Twitter accounts started publicly posting the address and personal information of the reporter Carlson identified as the story's writer. Many encouraged people to harass the reporter. In a statement to The Washington Post, a spokesperson for the Times denied Carlson's claims." The Times, in a statement, said Carlson was aware before he made the assertion on his show that the paper had asserted it would not disclose the locations of any of his homes. A Daily Beast story is here.

Annals of Journalism, Ctd. Wallace Trumps Trump. Aaron Blake of the Washington Post: "Trump's interview with Fox's Chris Wallace was a painful affair from start to finish. Wallace is always a good and tough interviewer, unlike the Fox opinion hosts Trump frequents, and he is always prepared, but this was on another level. The interview wasn't overly adversarial; Wallace was perfectly willing to talk about the things Trump was interested in and to play ball when Trump responded in relatively good faith. It wasn't slanted; instead it merely raised the very factual counterpoints dealt with frequently in coverage of Trump. And it wasn't rushed, which meant that Wallace could dig into the points Trump was making without fear of neglecting other topics he wanted to touch on.... These were the kinds of things that have been pointed out ad nauseam outside the audience of the president; Wallace just had the venue and the wherewithal to actually press him on them. And the result was something unlike we've seen thus far in Trump's presidency." (Also linked yesterday.)

Elections 2020

John Vernovek of ABC News: "Former Vice President Joe Biden on Monday issued a stern warning against foreign interference in U.S. elections, singling out Russia and promising swift retaliation against any nation that attempts to meddle in the American democratic process. In a lengthy statement, the presumptive Democratic nominee lambasted the Trump administration for failing to take action to prevent foreign election interference, and said that he is putting the Kremlin and other foreign governments 'on notice.'... 'If elected president, I will treat foreign interference in our election as an adversarial act that significantly affects the relationship between the United States and the interfering nation's government,' Biden wrote.... The statement aimed at Russia and other foreign governments comes just days after Biden revealed that he has been briefed by a team of experts on the topic of foreign election interference." Biden's full statement, on Medium, is here. ~~~

~~~ Natasha Bertrand, et al., of Politico: "Democratic leaders are asking the FBI for an urgent briefing arising out of concern that members of Congress are being targeted by a foreign operation intended to influence the 2020 presidential election, according to a letter they released publicly on Monday. Among the Democrats' concerns is that a Senate investigation being led by Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) has become a vehicle for 'laundering' a foreign influence campaign to damage Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden, according to two people familiar with the demand.... Though the letter [to FBI Directory Christopher Wray] did not mention the Johnson investigation, it included a classified addendum that the two sources say identified the probe as one of the sources of their concern. 'We are gravely concerned, in particular, that Congress appears to be the target of a concerted foreign interference campaign, which seeks to launder and amplify disinformation in order to influence congressional activity, public debate, and the presidential election in November,' [Nancy] Pelosi (D-Calif.) and [Chuck] Schumer (D-N.Y.) wrote in their letter, which was also signed by the chair of the House Intelligence Committee, Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), and the vice chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.)." The letter to Wray is here. ~~~

     ~~~ Mrs. McCrabbie: Mighty fitting that the Stupidest Senator is an enthusiastic dupe of the Russians. Even if Wray leans on Johnson, I suspect he will go ahead with his Russia's creative smear campaign.

Marc Caputo of Politico: "The sheriff of Jacksonville, Fla., said he can't provide security for the Republican National Convention because of a lack of clear plans, adequate funding and enough law enforcement officers. 'As we're talking today, we are still not close to having some kind of plan that we can work with that makes me comfortable that we're going to keep that event and the community safe,' Duval County Sheriff Mike Williams told Politico.... Williams, a Republican, wouldn't definitively say that there is no way the event could be held. But he said he had grave doubts about it, especially in an era of heightened protests concerning police use of force. Williams said the event, scheduled for Aug. 24-27, was announced in June, giving his agency little time to plan and prepare. The Republican National Committee has not yet nailed down which convention events will be at which venues, making it more challenging. And a pledged $50 million grant has been paired back to $33 million and, Williams said, there are strings attached that make letting contracts too difficult." ~~~

     ~~~ Mrs. McC: The incompetence of Trump & his entire party boggles the mind. Here's the evidence that they are not just purposely bad at governance because they don't "believe in" government. They can't even plan for something they want to do: a big show for the Big Showman.

AP: "Former Ohio Gov. John Kasich, a Republican and frequent Trump critic, has been approached and is expected to speak at the Democratic National Convention on [Joe] Biden's behalf next month, according to a person with direct knowledge of the plans who insisted on anonymity to discuss strategy. Kasich is among a handful of high-profile Republicans likely to become more active in supporting Biden in the fall. Trump, meanwhile, is doing virtually nothing to expand his appeal beyond his most loyal supporters. Some GOP operatives believe the suburbs are lost while a contingent of high-profile Republicans are openly questioning the president's reelection message." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

~~~ Charles Pierce Is Not Amused: "Oh, Lord. Just on the merits, Kasich doesn't have a lot of clout within the Republican party. The base hates him, and any Republican who is going to vote against Trump is already going to do so. The guy's run for president twice and cratered both times, so his appeal to the vaporous 'swing' voter seems, well, so limited that the risk of annoying almost every element of the Democratic base, and reigniting feuds within the party, hardly seems worth it. Just on the merits, his politics don't belong within an area code of any Democratic convention. He's radically anti-choice, radically anti-union, and a career-long adherent to the worst idea in American politics, the Balanced Budget Amendment. He opposed marriage equality; the Hodges in Obergefell v. Hodges was a Kasich appointee in Ohio. He's a fan of private prisons, despite the customary problems. I mean, seriously, this guy? Please give me a break."

Georgia Congressional Race. John Wagner of the Washington Post: "Georgia Democrats on Monday chose Nikema Williams, a state senator and chairwoman of the state party, to replace the late representative John Lewis (D) on the November ballot. Lewis, who died Friday at the age of 80 after a battle with pancreatic cancer, had won the June primary for the 5th Congressional District seat. Under state law, the Georgia Democratic Party was required to choose a replacement nominee on Monday, the first business day since Lewis's death.... The Democrat will face Republican Angela Stanton-King, an author and television personality. In February, President Trump pardoned Stanton-King for her role in a stolen vehicle ring in 2007, for which she served six months in home confinement. In 2016, Democrat Hillary Clinton carried the district with 85 percent of the vote over Trump." The Hill's story is here. (Also linked yesterday.)

Beyond the Beltway

New Jersey. Evan Perez, et al., of CNN: "The man suspected of shooting the husband and son of US District Judge Esther Salas on Sunday at her North Brunswick, New Jersey, home has been identified as Roy Den Hollander, the US Attorney's Office in New Jersey announced Monday afternoon. Den Hollander was a lawyer who once argued a case before Salas, according to court records. The FBI has called Den Hollander the 'primary subject,' and he is dead, the statement reads. Earlier, two law enforcement sources told CNN that the suspect died of what is believed to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound.... A FedEx package addressed to Salas was found by officials investigating a vehicle associated with the suspect, according to a law enforcement source." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

~~~ Ben Collins & Brandy Zadrozny of NBC News: "The man suspected of ambushing the family of the first Latina federal judge in New Jersey posted thousands of pages of writing to the internet in recent years decrying feminism and ranting against her, according to websites registered in his name and address. The man, Roy Den Hollander, an anti-feminist activist and lawyer, was pronounced dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, officials said Monday. Den Hollander, who law enforcement officials said shot and killed the son of U.S. District Judge Esther Salas in an ambush Sunday at her home in North Brunswick, wrote about his hatred of Salas in a self-published book this year." ~~~

~~~ Nicole Hong, et al., of the New York Times: "Roy Den Hollander was a self-described 'anti-feminist' lawyer who flooded the courts with seemingly frivolous lawsuits that sought to eliminate women's studies programs and prohibit nightclubs from holding 'ladies' nights.'... Mr. Den Hollander, 69, identified with a broader movement of men who in often abusive, misogynist and hateful language rail against 'feminazis.' He wrote numerous online screeds, some of which exceeded a thousand pages.... The [shootings were] ... a reminder of the dangers encountered by judges, who typically do not receive special security outside the courthouse unless they face specific threats. Judge Salas worked in one of the busiest courthouses in the country, overseeing dozens of cases at a time involving a wide range of defendants and litigants."

Way Beyond

European Union. Daniel Boffey & Jennier Rankin of the Guardian: "EU leaders have reached a historic agreement on a €750bn coronavirus pandemic recovery fund and their long-term spending plans following days of acrimonious debate at the bloc's longest summit in nearly two decades. As the meeting reached its fifth day, the 27 exhausted heads of state and government finally gave their seal of approval to a plan for the EU to jointly borrow debt to be disbursed through grants on an unprecedented scale, in the face of an economic downturn not seen since the Great Depression." --s The New York Times' story is here. Mrs. McC: And they did it wearing masks, apparently without fear of how they would look to "presidents, prime ministers, dictators, kings, queens."

U.K. Dan Sabbagh of the Guardian: "The long-awaited Russia report from the UK parliament's intelligence and security committee is due to be released on Tuesday morning, nine months after its publication was blocked by Boris Johnson before the general election. An examination of the reach of the Kremlin into UK politics and public life, the document is the product of 18 months' work by a cross-party committee taking evidence in secret from British intelligence and independent experts." --s

Comments

[Ken Winkes]

Re: Mr, Hollander.

Find it interesting that the person whom I believe popularized the term, "feminazis" was recently awarded the Presidential (Pretender) Medal of Freedom.

So it goes in the State of the Pretender's Union.

[Akhilleus]

Fatty to resume his soporific Trumpvirus sideshow. As a PR Master, surely he knows that if your product stinks but you want to keep peddling the same crap, just rename it. So now, instead of Trump’s Daily Coronavirus Briefing, it looks like we’ll be getting Donnie’s Sniffles Report.

Can’t wait. “Died of a cold. Nothing serious.”

[safari]

Unless I missed it, there have been a resounding ZERO questions posed by America's "elite" journalists to the current occupant of the White House about Russia both placing bounties on our soldiers' heads AND reportedly paying out.

How the fù#k is this possible? It's not like the sadist has been hiding in his bunker this whole time. He lives to ramble on in front of rolling cameras.

We were told by many outraged talking heads that we couldn't just let this story go away, that it was treasonous activity, that he can't be commander in chief if it's true, that this might be the one that brings him down (the 17,491st time), that he's obviously beholden to Putin, that Americans wouldn't stand for it, that inaction would further endanger our troops, that there's no way Republicans would remain silent at such an outrage, that action would surely follow, that people would resign in protest, that calling it a "hoax" can't work this time, that....

Til this day, journalists have been unable to muster a single question to put him on record responding to this. And now that it's festered for weeks, he'll bat it away as "fake news" and *poof*.

But, by all means, Goya beans.

[safari]

While prediction is a fool's errand, especially in this era, I'm going on the record predicting that the RNC Jacksonville debacle will lead the Narcissist-in-Grief to enable his inner Grifter-in-Chief and we'll soon find out that the RNC will be moved, yet again, this time to....Trump Doral in Miami. You know, with its great bungalows, right next to the airport, bed bugs, great meatloaf, it's really a dreamscape.

Everyone will naturally have to sign a NDA about any corruption they see and a declaration to not sue if they end up on their death bed with COVID-19. Dear Leader demands sacrifice.

[Bobby Lee]

@Safari I'm also predicting he moves the reelection announcement, since that's all this glitz and glitter is for. but not to Doral. After it sinks in that he isn't going to have a rabid crowd of MAGA's anywhere, why not to the greatest venue he can claim, the Oval Office? You can be sure no one in the GOP would object a bit. As noted, he's already used it to help sell beans.

[PD Pepe]

TOMORROWS DREAM FRONT PAGE:
https://www.bobblum.com/PDFs/NYTParody.pdf

Re: safari's beef about the lack of coverage " about Russia both placing bounties on our soldiers' heads AND reportedly paying out." I was wondering about that lack myself but then it fits a pattern, don't it? We go from horror story to whoops! another horror story––so much "stuff" happening we can't keep up. Right now Jack-boots in our cities take priority which will take a back seat, I imagine, for the Fat man and his Christian comrades, the lady with the scarves and the Uncle with the beard, to begin again their daily virus briefings. Praise Jesus, if that don't get us all excited.

Where are the days when the newest scandal at Fox–-Ed Henry accused of rape––-and rumors from other women re: Hannity and Tucker–-two schmucks of the first order–-would be the story of the day and last through a week.

And the days dwindle down to a precious few....and "for god's sake, let us sit upon the ground and tell sad stories of the death of kings and old unhappy far-off things and battles long ago."

[Akhilleus]

Wherever the We Want a Moron for Four More Years show ends up being held, Jacksonville, Doral, some weedy stadium in Alabama, or Brigadoon, there’s every likelihood that this latest Trump shit show will be far more representative of a police state showdown than the Democratic convention of 1968. That debacle in Chicago helped Nixon win by allowing him to claim the mantle of law and order man. Of course, two years later, the country got a good look at Republican law and order: Kent State.

Protesters are sure to be present, and in numbers. And Fatty and Barr will be sure to have their stormtroopers ready to bust heads. Wonder how many they’ll kill this time around.

Bodies on the street. Should be great for ratings. The little king will love that. Hey, at least they won’t have died from “the sniffles”.

[Marie Burns]

@safari: Agree on the Russian bounty hunters. I was just thinking yesterday that Trump seems to have gotten away with his "explanation" that he wasn't briefed on the bounty hunters, so no response is justified.

First of all, reports say he was briefed several times, albeit maybe mostly via the written word, which is too difficult for Trump to digest. (Apparently he is good at naming drawings of elephants, however, so my serious suggestion to his briefers is to begin preparing comic-book-style briefing books. In this case, drawings of Taliban shooting American soldiers while a nefarious-looking guy wearing a fur ear-flap hat is stuffing their pockets might do the trick.)

Second, if a real president were not briefed on such a turn of events, s/he would (a) raise holy hell about the lapse and (b) devise a retaliatory response against Russia.

[Marie Burns]

@Akhilleus: Brigadoon seems plausible. First of all, it must be somewhere near Turnberry, but more importantly, everybody in Brigadoon is white. With any luck, the convention will end the way the Brigadoon story ends: with the "hero" disappearing into the mist.

[Ken Winkes]

Safari,

And here's the UK report (or a report about the report):

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/21/world/europe/uk-russia-report.html?

Kinda milquetoast seems to me, but the pattern is the same here and abroad:

Follow the money. I'm guessing the preponderance of Russian money is in the hands of Tories there across the pond and in Republican politicians' and Republican supporters' here.

That's the report I'd like to see.

[Rockygirl]

@ Bobby Lee & Safari - of course it will be at the Doral and not in the Oval. Doral needs the money.

[Jeanne]

Re the discussion of the R(otten)N(othing)C(rudweasels') gathering: I can see the Doral also, since even the Jacksonville sheriff has let them down; but I wouldn't put it past Dumpiepants to announce to his trembling fans that he WILL be the "candidate" from either the Oval or the Rose Garden, since he has previously sullied every space he can.

I am not surprised that Drs.Birx and Redfield are behaving they way they do. Evangelicals are stupid and vapid enough to think that God will forgive them anything, so it doesn't matter what they do in this life. Remember, it's words, not deeds. Why, even Roger Stone "found Jesus" in the interim, courtesy of the bigot Franklin Graham, just in case he would be killed in prison. Birx ties herself in knots every time she opens her mouth, trying to NOT implicate the Idiot-In-Chief. Mostly Redfield is humble/noble at a distance, since he is barely able to muster a phrase in public. I will be making a point of radio silence at 5pm, relying on more stalwart listeners to keep me posted about lies 20,659,...660 and so forth, as Fat Man won't be able to keep from it. They will be campaign rallies in miniature and the stupid networks will cover every minute of the free publicity. Ick.

Bounties? What bounties? Nothing to see here...s/

[Bobby Lee]

Plain and simple, Trump screwed up. When he moved the RNC out of Charlotte to Jacksonville with just three months left he made a second move impossible. If Jacksonville throws in the towel with 35 days left there will be no way to plan anything more than buffets(!) in the club house and secret service plus local police for security.

As an added draw, Miami-Dade county just added 2522 cases today to bring their total to 89,957. That's more than the totals of 37 states. Not something any semi sane person would want to walk into.

[Anonymous]

Marcy Wheeler @emptywheel has often expressed that Barr is dangerous and acts outside the rule of law. She's a great follow. Last week she moved to Ireland (husband dual citizenship) but she continues to post. I am most concerned for the period between the election and inauguration. At this point in time, Biden is the likely winner. However, the voter suppression and chaos Trump machine is cranked to maximum in the effort to cast doubt. Opus Dei Barr certainly has Trump's back and is certain to unleash some bogus BS in October. I don't see the SpCt hurrying to come down, if at all, on the side of justice.

In re: the Salon article about Christian evangelist Birx, are those endless scarfs a signal to the others in the cult? I fantasize about Isadora Duncan every time I see her. In my view she's been a tool and mostly counterproductive to controlling the virus from the start. She's another of those "adults in the room." They all show their true cruelty and cowardice in the end.

[Hattie]

(from above)

The removal of Margaret Sanger’s association from Planned Parenthood - and vice versa - has been needed for far too long. And this action cannot come only from their Greater New York Chapter. It must be all-in. *With* a full-on reveal of Sanger’s taste for eugenics.

Josef Mengele in a starched white apron.

[Ken Winkes]

Pardon my naivete, but I don't see the mystery.

How will the Miller, the Pretender and his other white supremacist goons know who is a citizen and who is not?

Simple.

If the respondent has an Hispanic- or Muslim-sounding name--clearly not a citizen.

And on the presence of agents provocateurs in Democrat-controlled cities, thanks to the Pretender, his brown shirts now far outnumber the ghostly Antifas, just as their predecessors did in 1930's Nazi Germany.

[Hattie]

“The KKK vs The Lumbee Tribe - The Battle of Hayes Pond”

One of too many bits of U.S. History I was never taught in school.
With a view of “firearm culture” within The Civil Rights Movement.
Hatred: An Equal Opportunity Enforcer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MfdJWw4mKbg

[citizen625]

As much as I think James Comey is a buck passing, responsibility denier at the nexus of why (we) Americans elected the Orange Buffoon versus a much more qualified Hillary, this article is spot on: https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/07/21/james-comey-trump-portland-federal-officers/?hpid=hp_save-opinions-float-right-4-0_opinion-card-a-right%3Ahomepage%2Fstory-ans#comments-wrapper. Comey is at the lead in the ascendency of lawyers/technocrats who lack art within their vocation and make everyone else suffer the consequences.